A special rapporteur demands immediate access to aid and peacekeepers to end Gaza’s deadly blockade

Michael Fakhri, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, has issued a dire warning: unless humanitarian aid enters Gaza immediately, 14,000 Palestinian babies risk dying due to starvation and malnutrition. For 19 months, Fakhri has observed the devastating impact of Israel’s blockade on Gaza’s civilians, particularly children.

On 19 May 2025, Israel launched “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” intensifying its ground offensive aimed at gaining indefinite control over Gaza—an annexation in all but name. This follows the International Court of Justice’s ruling that Israel’s occupation is illegal and must end swiftly with full reparations to Palestinians.

For over 75 days, Israel has denied all food, water, and essential supplies from entering Gaza. Acute child malnutrition rose by over 80% in March, while the price of wheat flour soared by 3,000% since February. The World Food Programme exhausted its food stockpiles on 25 April, and the World Central Kitchen ceased operations on 7 May. The scale of deprivation is catastrophic: before the October 2023 escalation, half of Gaza’s population was already hungry, and 80% depended on humanitarian aid. Now, 500 trucks of aid daily are far from sufficient.

Israel’s March announcement to halt all goods into Gaza flagrantly violates international law, ignoring both an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for starvation as a war crime and a 2024 International Court of Justice order recognising the risk of genocide in Gaza. Israel, backed by the US ambassador Mike Huckabee, conditions humanitarian relief on Hamas releasing hostages—a clear breach of international law that forbids using aid as leverage.

Though the UN recently secured permission for just over 100 aid trucks to enter Gaza, this remains a mere fraction of the desperate need. UNICEF and the UN have condemned Israel’s aid plan, which aims to forcibly displace Palestinians into southern Gaza under military surveillance. The UN labelled this strategy a “deliberate attempt to weaponise aid,” forcing civilians into dangerous zones where they face “displacement or death.”

Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, bluntly described the situation to the UN Security Council: “Israel is deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians… It makes aid conditional on political and military aims. It makes starvation a bargaining chip.” Fletcher condemned the Israeli plan as a cynical façade to justify further violence.

The US is poised to take control of the aid operation through the opaque Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, protected by Israeli forces. Experts warn this plan fails to prevent famine and rejects the existing humanitarian networks already in place. Meanwhile, attempts to send aid by sea have been violently blocked, with a civilian ship bombed in international waters.

International responses have been weak. Last week, the UK, France, and Canada issued warnings that they might take action if Israel does not halt its offensive and lift restrictions on aid. The UK suspended trade talks with Israel on Tuesday. Yet these political gestures feel hollow amid the ongoing catastrophe.

The UN Security Council remains paralysed by the US veto power, preventing meaningful action to protect Gaza’s civilians. In response, Fakhri urges the UN General Assembly to invoke the “Uniting for Peace” resolution, allowing peacekeepers to accompany humanitarian convoys and break the illegal blockade. This would ensure lifesaving aid reaches 2.3 million Palestinians and halt the slow death by starvation.

The world stands at a crossroads. With Gaza’s children dying and famine looming, the UN must act decisively. The blockade and use of starvation as a weapon constitute crimes under international law. Without urgent intervention, thousands more lives will be lost.

Michael Fakhri’s plea is clear: “The UN General Assembly must break the illegal blockade and stop the starvation of Gaza’s people.” The time to save 14,000 babies and millions of innocent civilians is now.